1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to motor boats and, in particular, to an adaptor that allows for the cooling or flushing of motor boat engines when the boat is out of the water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stern drive engines, also known as inboard/outboard engines, are commonly used in motor boats as a source of power to propel the boats through a river, lake, or the ocean. These boats commonly draw cooling water into the engine through an outdrive to maintain the engines within an acceptable operating temperature range. Thus, so long as the boat remains in the water, the engine may be operated for extended periods of time without overheating.
When work such as repairs, tune-ups, flushing or winterizing must be performed on the engine, it is usually desirable to remove the boat from the water and perform this work on land. This work often requires that the engine be running, however, and, since the boat is out of the water, there is no longer any source of water to cool the engine. Thus, the engine could be permanently damaged if these repairs are attempted.
The prior art provides several different device to flush outboard and/or stern drive engines while the boat is out of the water, and these methods and apparatuses could also be used to cool the engines while they are running. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,108,190 to Carlson; 4,540,009 to Karls; 4,589,851 to Karls; 4,729,393 to Ferguson; 4,842,002 to Ferguson; and 4,973,276 to Mavrelis. Each of these devices requires that the outdrive remain connected to the boat.
However, the work described above very often requires that the outdrive be removed from the boat for safety reasons or to allow the mechanic to do the work. Further, since this work tends to be done at the beginning or end of a boating season, many different boats will be out of the water at the same time awaiting their turn to worked on. Since the outdrives on boats sitting in a boatyard are very susceptible to theft because they are easily removable from the gimbal housing, they are usually removed and placed in storage until the boat is read to go back into the water. Thus, since the above-referenced patent methods and apparatuses require the outdrive to be in place, they are useless to cool or flush an engine when the outdrive is removed.
In response, boat mechanics solved this problem by cutting off the end of a garden hose, inserting the hose into a cooling orifice in the gimbal housing leading to the engine, and turning on the water while the engine was running. However, this method is deficient and does not adequately insure that the engine will receive an adequate supply of water while the engine is running, since there is no way to insure that the hose will not become disconnected from the orifice. The hose is merely wedged into the orifice, so that the water pressure often pushes the hose out of the orifice, or people walking by the boat accidentally trip on the hose and kick or pull it out of the orifice. Thus, the mechanic must constantly get in and out of the boat to replace the hose. Further, the mechanic must constantly check to make sure the hose did not fall out while he is working on the engine. Thus, the mechanic is distracted from the task at hand, and it takes him longer to work on the engine.
Further, the engine must often be kept running for an extended period of time either before or after it has been worked on to either uncover the source of a problem or make sure the work was done properly. Thus, since the mechanic cannot be sure that the hose will remain in the orifice, he is forced to remain close to the boat to make sure that the hose does not become disconnected. This wastes a great deal of the mechanic's time and prevents him from working on other engines.
Finally, the seal between the hose and orifice is often inadequate, thereby allowing a great deal of water to spray out from the orifice and wet the entire work area. This makes it more difficult and inconvenient to work on the boat.
Accordingly, there is a need for a more secure connection between a hose or other fluid conduit and an engine so that water may be more reliably supplied to cool or flush the engine, that will prevent or minimize spraying and that will allow the engine to be left running unattended for an extended period of time.